Office Design UK: 10 Amazing North of England Workspaces

These 10 offices in the North of England are among the coolest workspaces in the world—playfully and colourfully utilising symbols of the region’s distinct heritage and culture in designs that range from the playfully colourful to the futuristic limits of science fiction.

The coolest offices in the United Kingdom are of such a high standard of creativity, imagination and innovation that they almost deserve their own Office Design UK brand. A fantastic example is provided by these 10 outstanding offices in the major population centres of the North of England. Drawing on mainly regional cultural traditions to inspire their layout and decor, they are nevertheless standard bearers for the Office Design UK trend that is among the world’s finest workplace architecture and layout.

1. Born + Raised, Sheffield

Branding and design agency Born + Raised created a unique office space by renovating a 17th Century grain warehouse in Sheffield. Designed by Structural Interiors, the office retains many of the building’s original features such as brick walls and iron pillars, while modernising the space with skylight windows and a clean wooden floor.

2. AutoTrader, Manchester

Autotrader’s Manchester offices pay tribute to the auto industry through quirky design choices. Designed by Claremont Group Interiors, the workspace contains murals of mechanical car drawings, as well as a vintage Volkswagen Campervan set up as a meeting pod. The glass-walled meeting rooms are named after classic cars, and vintage vehicles are scattered throughout the office. It’s an quirky classic of office design UK.

4. Well Pharmacy, Manchester

Well Pharmacy’s Manchester offices are housed in a Grade-II listed former warehouse. Designed by Blue Sky Interiors, the space strikes the perfect balance between the heritage of the building and the practicality of modern design. Exposed brick walls and wood ceiling rafters blend seamlessly with minimalistic white furniture and a new kitchen.

5. Uniform, Liverpool

As a creative consultancy, Uniform needed offices that both provided a professional environment to host clients in and a studio for hands-on work. Their workspace, designed by Snook Architects, achieves this seamlessly. Sleek meeting pods and splashes of primary colours give the appearance of a contemporary workplace, while unfinished MDF surfaces convey that this is also a creative workshop.

6. BBC North, Salford

BBC North’s Salford offices are another office design UK standard-bearer, inspired by urban streets, encouraging employees to move and mingle throughout the workday. Designed by Sheppard Robson (ID:SR), the office includes a variety of different seating options, such as desks, meeting pods, picnic benches and plush sofas. The largely black colour scheme with purple and green accents adds a high-tech edge to the workspace, while strip lighting keeps the space bright.

7. Leeds United FC

There are few brands that people get as passionate about as football teams, so it was important for Leeds United’s offices to reflect that fan involvement. The office, designed by Absolute Contract Interiors, features an astroturf football pitch floor, walls and windows emblazoned with the club logo, and a mural of a packed Elland Road stadium. Naturally, the team’s colours also appear prominently in the design.

8. Bronco, Ripon

Bronco, a web design and SEO consultancy, have Ripon offices that compete with those of the trendiest tech start-ups, despite the rural setting. Designed by Phaus, the office features a wooden house-shaped meeting room and staff toilets inside a repurposed shipping container. Aesthetically, the office is truly contemporary, with whimsical tiling and beautiful light fittings.

9. Citypress, Manchester

It’s widely accepted that open-plan offices allow for better communication between employees and Citypress’s Manchester offices show this in action. The office, designed by Whitespace Consultants, is one big room divided into areas by archways, corner seating units and storage units. The office features a snooker table and a big employee kitchen.

10. Melbourne, Manchester

Despite having the decidedly non-UK brandname of Melbourne, this server hosting company’s offices are another Office Design UK standout. Looking like something out of a children’s book, this predominantly pink-hued headquarters boasts an indoor garden, a pool table, beanbag zone and Scalextric, creating a dynamic work environment for employees. In the middle of the office floor there’s also an old-style library complete with fake fire, providing a place for staff to relax.